Several containers for string, holding and transporting cigars and cigarettes are known. They are made of different materials such as paper, paperboard, plastics, wood, cork and metals such as for example aluminum, silver plate and silver.

It is also known that tobacco goods must be stored taking care that they are in proper environmental conditions, otherwise their properties could irremediably decrease. In particular it is advisable to keep such goods under an optimum humidity and to cause that they do not contact bad smells, which would be most probably absorbed, and do not undergo rapid changes of temperature.

A further fundamental requirement to obtain a good storage of tobacco goods is to keep such goods substantially halted with respect to the container. In other words in a container which is completely full of cigars or cigarettes their reciprocal movement will not happen even if the container undergoes shocks or become shaken but if the box is not completely filled with goods, inevitably the cigars (cigarettes) will move inside the box and such a movement will cause the cigars (cigarettes) to crush one against the other and also against the box walls.

The heretofore known containers for containing the above kind of goods do not provide all the above features combined together. In fact, while there are containers providing for a built-in humidifier, the humidification inside the container is scarce and uneven and there is no feature avoiding the movement, and thus the degrade, of the goods inside the container.

In view of the above, the general object of the present invention is to provide a container, particularly for tobacco goods, which could keep the goods under the best humidity conditions, also avoiding that the goods could move inside such a container and thus become damaged.

The above and further objects are obtained by a container according to independent claim 1. Further advantageous characteristics of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

A detailed description of the invention now follows, such a description being illustrative only and not limitative and to be read referring to the annexed sheets of drawings in which: -Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the inventive container, in its open condition ; -Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the base of the container of Fig. 1; -Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the base of the Fig. 1 container, taken at a vertical plane passing through the axis of symmetry A-A of one of the recesses ; and <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> -Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the base of the Fig. 1 container, taken at a vertical plane passing through the axis of symmetry B-B of the chamber containing the humidifier.

Naturally the same reference characters in the various figures of the drawings will be used for the same element or for an element which is functionally the same.

Further it is to be pointed out that while generally for clarity of description the following disclosure only refers to cigars, it is intended that in the present disclosure the word"cigar"has a wider meaning and further includes cigarettes, tobacco bags and the like.

The container 10 according to the illustrated embodiment is comprised of a base 12 and a cover 14, both having substantially the same shape. In each base 12 or cover 14 a plurality of recesses 16 are provided, each of said recesses being adapted to house one or more cigars (not shown). While the illustrated embodiment provides a set of identical recesses 16, it is not excluded to provide containers having recesses of different sizes for housing cigars of correspondingly different sizes. Each of said recesses has an extended channel-like shape having a semi circular cross-section (other cross-sectional shapes are obviously possible, such as U-shape and V-shape). Each recess or channel 16 evenly tapers at the ends. At any recess 16 a conduct 20 is provided, such a conduct running below a corresponding channel-like recess. All the conducts 20 are connected to a chamber 22 in which a humidifier 24 is housed. As it is clear from the figures, when the humidifier 24 is in its chamber and the inventive container is closed, an empty space 26 both above and

under the humidifier will be left, such spaces being in communication with the various channels. In such a way, when the container is in a closed condition, the humidified air will freely circulate inside the container itself and substantially around each of the cigars housed in the corresponding recesses.

In addition to a standard hinge 24 which provides for an easy opening of the container 10 and to a conventional fastener 30 which maintains the container closed when it is transported, the container according to the invention also provides for sealing means 32 for sealing the container interior from outside environment. In the illustrated embodiment the sealing means is made of a continuous and protruding rim 34 running along the periphery of one of the base 12 and cover 14 and a corresponding cavity 36 in one of the cover 14 and base 12, respectively.

Naturally, also according to the material which is used for the container, the sealing means could be made of different materials such as a rubber or any other deformable material gasket.

Obviously the number of recesses 16 and their arrangement are not binding for the scope of protection of the invention. Similarly, according to the specific case, there could be a plurality of humidifiers in one container, possibly said humidifiers being arranged in a different way with respect to the illustrated arrangement.

Naturally the inventive container could be made of any proper material such as wood, cork, plastics, metals, glass, porcelain, majolica and paperboard. According to the used material, the base 12 and the cover 14 could be in one piece or in more than one piece. In other words, if the container is made of wood, the various recesses, conducts, chambers etc. could be machined by milling; should the container be made of plastics or metal, they could be obtained by a cold pressing or hot pressing process.

The various recesses, chambers and conducts could also be provided in a separate tray or trough-like element which is introduced into the base and cover of a standard box-like container. There could be also more then one layer of cigars inside one container, thus more than one tray or trough-like element.

While the best way for obtaining air circulation inside the container is as above mentioned and shown, a similar effect could also be obtained by using porous supports which are properly shaped in order to provide at least the cigar recesses and the humidifier

chamber.

Finally, the same container according to the invention could also provide for cavities for housing one or more proper accessories for using the tobacco goods such as matches, lighters, cutting tools, etc. which, upon opening the container, will be arranged in a tidy and functional arrangement avoiding to hurt the cigars with the movements of the container.

It is clear that several changes, variations, adaptations and substitutions of parts with parts which are functionally equivalents could be made in the above disclosed and illustrated embodiment without departing from the scope of protection set forth in the appended claims.